April 25, 2023

Title: YOU'RE DISRUPTING MY FLOW!

Constructor: Scott Earl

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

ELEPHANT SEAL (20A: Marine mammal with a trunklike snout)

SHAMELESS PLUG (38A: Bit of self-promotion)

HEARTSTOPPER (55A: Netflix series based on an Alice Oseman graphic novel)

Theme synopsis: The last word of each theme answer is something that could be used to DISRUPT THE FLOW: SEAL, PLUG, STOPPER.

Things I learned:

• ORCA (14A: Whale such as Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut) Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut is the Lummi Nation name of an ORCA currently in captivity at Miami Seaquarium. The ORCA has also been known by the names Tokitae and Lolita, and has been in captivity since 1970 when she was removed from her home in the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is located in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. The Lummi Nation, who view ORCAs, including Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut, as their relatives under the waves, have been advocating for Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's release back into the Salish Sea. On March 30 of this year, it was announced that Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut would be returned to her home waters where she will reside in a semi-wild sea-pen. You can read more about the efforts to return Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut to her home here and here. 
• BARCADE (50A: Place to drink beer while playing Pong) I had not heard the term BARCADE before, but this portmanteau of bar and arcade was inferable. 
• NET (54A: Part of a handball goal) Handball is an Olympic team sport in which teams of seven players each pass a ball and attempt to throw it into the opposing teams' goal (which features a NET). Add this to the list of sports things I've learned from crosswords! I was familiar with the game apparently known as American handball, which involves players hitting a ball against a wall (and no NET), but not - until today - with Olympic handball.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• ELEPHANT SEAL (20A: Marine mammal with a trunklike snout) The trunklike nose for which the ELEPHANT SEAL gets its name, is a feature seen only in the males of the species. Female ELEPHANT SEALs have a smaller nose similar to the noses of other SEAL species. Male ELEPHANT SEALs, develop their large nose, or proboscis, during puberty, around age 7. A male's proboscis sticks out over their lower lip by about eight inches.
• CPR (25A: Procedure that can be done to the beat of "Baby Shark") The Red Cross recommends doing CPR at a rate of 100 chest compressions per minute. This means that songs with 100-120 beats per minute are useful tools to help you maintain the correct rate if you need to perform CPR. This includes "Baby Shark," or the classic example, "Stayin' Alive." If neither of those songs are your jam, not to worry. You can find a "Certified CPR" playlist on Spotify with over 50 songs to choose from.
• SHAMELESS PLUG (38A: Bit of self-promotion) Well, okay, since the puzzle insists, I will insert a SHAMELESS PLUG into this write-up. If you enjoy reading this blog, daily or occasionally (or if you don't really enjoy it, but use it to figure out puzzle themes or what-not...), I invite you to consider making an occasional donation to support my work. See the Donation button on this page, or visit the "Contact Sally" page to find out how to donate via Venmo or check. Think of it as buying me an occasional slice of pizza or cup of tea. This blog is ad-free and free to read. Donations are always optional, and always appreciated. Many thanks to those of you that support Sally's Take! 
• HEARTSTOPPER (55A: Netflix series based on an Alice Oseman graphic novel) I learned about the TV series, HEARTSTOPPER, from the July 3, 2022 puzzle. The second season of the show is scheduled to be released in August.
• BASIL (58A: Herb on a caprese sandwich) A caprese salad features fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and BASIL. Yum!
• POET (7D: Ariana Brown or Elizabeth Barrett Browning) Ariana Brown is a "queer Black Mexican American POET" from Texas. She is the author of the 2021 poetry collection, We Are Owed. Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was a Victorian era POET. 
• HOW (28D: "___ Will I Know" (Whitney Houston classic)) Whitney Houston released "HOW Will I Know" in 1985. The songs of my college years are now classics. 
• PETCO (40D: Chain with mascots named Ruff and Mews) Red Ruff (a dog) and Blue Mews (a cat) were introduced as the official mascots of PETCO in 1991. Some customers were disappointed when PETCO rebranded in 2020, and removed Ruff and Mews from the store's logo. Willow is the official mascot of Sally's Take. However, when I'm traveling, my other feline friends

  

  Toby

  
  step in to help me write the blog. My husband and I are currently in Chicago housesitting for our daughter and her fiancé, so Toby is helping me today. Toby has an adorable habit of placing his paw on you to remind you of his presence. 
• CHILI (51D: Frito pie ingredient) I have previously written about Frito pie, a casserole of CHILI, cheese, and Fritos. 

Geography review:

• NEVADA (35D: State west of Utah) It's time for a Geography Review Quiz! NEVADA is one of five states that border Utah. Can you name the other four states that border Utah? The answer may be found at the bottom of this blog post.
• PAELLA (45D: Rice dish from Valencia) Valencia is a province in Spain. The capital city of that province is also named Valencia. PAELLA is a dish that consists of rice, green beans, meat (rabbit, chicken, and sometimes duck), lima beans (or butter beans) cooked in olive oil and chicken broth. The dish is seasoned with rosemary and gets its traditional yellow color from saffron. PAELLA, which originated in Valencia, gets its name from the wide, shallow pan used to cook the dish. In Valencian/Catalan language, PAELLA means "frying pan."

I really enjoyed the theme of today's puzzle. When I saw the title, YOU'RE DISRUPTING MY FLOW!, my guess was that the theme answers would be breaking up the word "FLOW." With this expectation, ELEPHANT SEAL confused me a bit. When I encountered SHAMELESS PLUG, I had a nice "Aha!" moment. HEARTSTOPPER rounded out this set of theme answer's nicely. Thank you, Scott, for this puzzle that was a great way to start my Tuesday.

Answer to Geography Review Quiz: In addition to NEVADA, the four other states that border Utah are Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona. Utah and New Mexico meet each other at the southeast corner of Utah, but the two states don't share a border.